Pressure cooker



Oct. 9, 1951 C, R, TURNER 2,570,993

PRESSLRE CooKER 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed May 27, 1946 l/l/ l//l 111% /l//l ll/ Oct. 9, 1951 c. R. TURNER 2,570,993

PRESSURE COOKER Filed May 27, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 y LL'S rnegs Patented Oct. 9, 1951 251170,99# PRSSUnE-cokim" ClarlsRogenllurnetkEneld, Springfield Town- Shirt; Montgomery-f' COUIltysaPm ass'xgnoxty to;l

vThief:inventionrelates-to pressure acookers, andi more particularly to a novel constmetiomon facilitating 1f the applicati'cmvY andremoval of L" the 11de-oit? cover" ofif'su'chv a. cooker. fritlerfrre1ates-tolthe-Vtype'foftpressuref cooker-fin Whchf-thecover or fli'd seats upwardly'inzthe open'-` in'gfirri-te cooking =vesse1sof thaftthe.Y lid! cannot bei-removed '1 While a substantial' pressure#y exists?.

within the cooker;-

inserted through the :vessel opening and'f' which wilI-ffseat-upwardly againstthe' inner surfaceof tli'y vessel surrounding-:said opening: 'I'l1.'e-s`imf} pitstf1-wayfofttc@'olmoishfing-v this Lis: temake the to'foil'eratethe-*handle clashing rneanss- K Offre olj ectl .Y of the invention is tof provideajn improyedfpressnre' cooker;y Whichj may loefK closed minimum; ofVlr manipulation kon trie: part off tixe-l ,hqrropecioithe Neotion? l. 7 t af; pr ssrej` cookerV` construction, which ,assuresA ositioningof 'thej lid 'or cqvmeinfwv Y icriioodimaybie;nouredwithaminimim of hindrance oy'the inwardly extending top` lip Of'thezvessel Y Y l Y Qtler objectsandfeaturesof 'the invention Willi beapparentljirom the :following detailedjl descrip'- tion` With reference toY thej accompanying-drawings illustratingcertainy m-bo diments of thej inevenlon'l I a plan v-ievvff offoneVv embodiment of" ressurefcooker; Y

titrtmghaA trie handle; structure;

The: inventone.

necessary-tohav-Some--provision f-or-secur t-ic'teb-,to2A provide' a; manually operablel` 'clasp-- necessary yinanipu-lavti'on'sduring application sure coo er of 'the type mentoned;v

Fig: lei :a perspective: view-illustratingtheta application of'thelid.

Eigz. 5l isla plaIrJ/ievv:` of another embodimerrt; of-y theapressure cooker-f Y Figrt'i' ka; Sectional,View` taken on:` a1

- Wall in the direction oithe:minor#elliptical*axisT @f1-the opening 1s: frnetvesseiahandle; 2: extends *freine the? vesjs 11j I l substantially 'in theY direction K' off the-A minor-' elliptical*i axis" offr the* opening: (it The-'reasons'ffor the construction/dust de'scrii'ned`` will beeab'prent'later: Y

The lid or cover-3f-S'gof-i`ell-lft-ical forni corre' spending-' to the-- el1ipticalf opening-vl` 6',-

g ltnetliy lid 3f thereare provided a ,stud l whose lower end is forrried to provide shoulder I5. l a

The vessel handle 2 comprises a metallic 4 position by rotating the lid handle toward the position of alignment with the vessel handle. Due to the offset of the vessel opening 6 with respect to the axis of the cylindrical vessel wall, the interior wall surface is eective to pilot the lid as the latter approaches its proper' position. This is due to the fact that the offset feature causes the effective wall areas to be closer to the edge portions of the lid at the two extremities bracket or Support I1, secired to vessel I in any suitable manner such as by spot Welding,

and a nonemetallic handle member I8, of 10W heat conductivity, secured to bracket I1 by a center rod I9 whose end 2o threadedly engages the bracket I1. The handle member I8 has an opening 2l, into which 'the latching stud l5 is adapted to extend, as shown in Fig. 2. The opening 2l and stud I5 constitute an indexing means which prevents latching of the lid handle 1 unless the lid is in proper position. Within the handle member I8 there is provided a latch member 22 which is pivoted at 23 and which has a nose portion 24 adapted to engage the shoulder I I'S on the latching stud I5 when the latter is disposed in opening 2|. The'latch member 22 is urged.toward latching position, i. e. counterclock-wise as viewed in Fig. 2, by a spring 25 which extends about the pivot pin 23. The end portion 26 of the spring rests against rod I9,

While the end portion 2'I engages a tripping element orextension 28 ofthe latch-'member 22.

It .awill be noted that the element 28 extends from the lower side of the Vessel handle, so that the latch member 22 may be tripped by actuat-` ing element 28 while holding on to the handles.'-

When the lid is applied to the vessel, as hereinafter described, the handles are latched toof themajor axis of' the lid. As the lid handle is rotated, it engages one of the curved edges 29 which pilots it into the recess 30. At the same Vtime the latching `stud I5 enters the opening 2| in the vessel handle. Thus the combined 11d and handle unit is piloted and indexed in proper position with no effort on the part of the user other than-turning the handle. When the lid has been brought into proper position, the user gether merely by exerting gripping pressure thereon. With the latch means operative, the lid is seated firmly in place.

The upper portion of bracket II serves as a.

piloting and indexing means for the lid through the medium of the lid handle. To this Vend, the

upper 4-portion of the bracket is extended vand has curved edges 29 (see Fig. 3) anda recess 30 adapted to receive the lid handle.

As previously mentioned, the lid 3 is adapted to seat upwardly in the vessel opening 6. As shown in Fig. 2, the edge portion of the lid extends downwardly at SI and is shaped to form a peripheral channel 32 in which a resilient ele-v ment 33 is disposed. The element 33 may be formed of rubber or the like, and it is adapted toy form a tight seal with the `inwardly extendingedge 34 surrounding the vessel .opening 6.

Preferably, the edge 34 is disposed at anangle larly arrangedv for a reason which will appear presently.

, Y '-60 and the cooperating portion of the lid is simi- The advantages of the cooker structure here- 4.

inbefore described may be clearly seen by considering the use of thedevice. Letl us assume that the lid is detached from the vesseLand that y the user is about tol apply the lid preparatory to placing the cooker in operation. The lid is rst positioned just above the vessel opening 6 with the lid handle 4 extending substantially at right` v anglesto the vessel handle 2. In thisv position,

the lid may be partially-inserted by tipping it at a slight angle, as shown in Fig. 4, and4 it) may g then be fully inserted and brought into=proper i Y has only to grip the two aligned handles to cause latching thereof. The'cooker is then ready forloperation. 1 'After the cooker has been used and the pres-y sure therein has been. reduced so that the lid may be removed, the user merely trips the latch;

member 22, raises the lid handle suiiiciently to free it-from the vessel handle, and then vr0- tatesthe vessel handle to a position substantiallyV at right angles to the vessel handle. IThelid,

may then be removed simply by tilting it slightly and lifting it to withdraw it completelyrfrom the vessel.

It should be noted that the onset of 'nieves-l sel opening 6 makes it possible to use a longer-- elliptical lid in a given size vessel, -because such A offset provides sufficient clearance so that the lid may be inserted, as in Fig. 4, Witha mini-fmum of tilting. Moreover, the use of the longer lid reduces the width of the inwardly extending lip 34 at the extremities of the major elliptical axis of the vessel opening 6. This reduction in the width of the lip at the point where the contents of the vessel are normally poured therefrom makes it easier for the user to pour out the contents after the cooker has beenv used.- The incline of the lip 34 further facilitates pouring of the vessel contents, as will be readilyapparent.'

Referring again to Fig. 1, the elliptical shape-` of the vessel opening and the lid is preferably obtained by striking certain arcsas indicated by the arrowhead lines. The side portions of the elliptical form are obtained by Astriking arcs as indicated by lines 35 and 36. i

One arc is struckv from point 5 as a center so that a portion of the elliptical form is concentric with the Vessel wall.

The other arc is struck from' point 31..as a.

center, -which point is spaced Vfrom point 9 the same. distance as is point 5.; The endY portions of the elliptical form are obtained by striking v. arcs, as indicated by lines 38 and 39, from points'. 40 and 4I which are equally spaced from point 9 along the major elliptical axis. This construction has the advantage that a greater portion of the vesselwall is effective to pilot the lid.

In Figs. 5 to 8 there is shown a modified forni of. the cooker which has some of` the advantages above mentioned. The elements corresponding to those of the. inst-,described embodiment are similarly designated and require no further description'. In this instance, however, certain-olfthe results achieved by the Offset feature of the rst-descrbed embodiment-are achievedinA adifgferent manner.

ticaleopening 6 coincides withI the central Xs of the vessel, and the upperportion Qfthegvesselg;

The center point 9 of the `ellip-i wall is internally thickened in the areas adjacent the extremities of the major elliptical axis of the Vessel opening. This thickening of the Wall is shown in Figs. 7 and 8 at 42. The result of this is that the upper portion of the internal wall surface of the vessel is caused to be elliptical or oblong in the direction of the minor elliptical axis of the Vessel opening. The thickened wall areas serve to pilot the lid, and also reduce the lip 34, making it easier to pour the vessel contents.

While the word elliptical has been used in the foregoing description, and also appears in the appended claims, it is to be understood that this term is used in a general sense to designate an oblong shape, and not in the strict geometrical sense to mean that true ellipses are necessarily involved.

Although the invention has b-een described with specific reference to the illustrated embodiments, it is not limited thereto but is susceptive to further embodiments and modications without departing from its scope.

I claim:

1. In a pressure cooker, a vessel having an elliptical top opening and an inturned lip about said opening, a handle secured to said vessel near the top thereof and extending from the Vessel substantially in the direction of the minor axis of said opening, an elliptical lid or cover adapted to seat upwardly in said opening against said lip, a handle secured to said lid and extending therefrom substantially in the direction of the minor axis of the lid, the lid being insertable in place by tipping it partially into the vessel with the handles misaligned and then rotating the lid until the two handles are aligned, the top portion of the vessel -wall adjacent the ends of the major axis of said elliptical opening being thickened inwardly so that the upper interior wall surface of the vessel adjacent the ends of the major axis of said opening is in close proximity to the opening so as to pilot the lid into proper position in relation to said opening, and said lip consequently is narrow at the ends of the major axis of said opening, thus facilitating pouring of the vessel contents, and means for latching the lid handle to the vessel handle when 6 the lid is in proper position in relation to said opening.

2. In a presssre cooker, a Vessel having an elliptical top opening and an inturned lip about said opening, a handle secured to said vessel near the top thereof and extending laterally from the vessel, an elliptical lid or cover adapted to seat upwardly in said opening against said lip, a handle secured to said lid and extending therefrom so as to be aligned With the lvessel handle when the lid is in the Vessel-closing position, the

lid being insertable in place by tipping it partially into the vessel with the handles misaligned and then rotating the lid until the two handles are aligned, the top portion of the inner surface of the side wall of the vessel being of elliptical shape and having its major axis at right angles to the major axis of said elliptical opening, so that the upper inner surface of the side wall of the vessel adjacent the ends of the major axis of said opening is in close proximity to the opening so as to pilot the lid into proper position in relation to said opening, and said lid consequently is narrow at the ends of the major axis of said opening, thus facilitating pouring of the vessel contents, and means for latching the lid handle to the vessel handle when the lid is in closing position in relation to said opening.

, CHARLES ROGER TURNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 146,234 Russell Jan. 14, 1947 737,171 Szentjanossy Aug. 25, 1903 1,219,402 Rutan Mar. 13, 1917 2,282,011 Vischer, Jr. May 5, 1942 2,407,627 Chandler Sept. 17, 1946 2,468,259 Foster Apr. 26, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 310,852 Great Britain Aug. 1, 1930 630,277 France Aug. 16, 1927 

